Safety starting device.



, J.-T. MAHONEY. SAFETY STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNBZZ, 1911.

Patented Nov. 5, 191.21

u 1% Mm 90N n@ W v 5 At :H E 2 *was 2 2. WO L l; -m 5* MM ,w Z ,L .m ad mm 1v1@ J. T; MAHONEY. SAFETY STARTING DEVICE. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 22., 1911,.

Patented Nov. 5,' 1912.

JAMES T. MAHQNEY, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETYv STARTING DEVICE.

' Specification of Il ette'rs Patent. i

Patented Nov. 5, '1912.

Appncanon-aied :une 22,1911. seriai No. 634,698.

To all whom t moycoocmn, -l f Be it known that I, JAMES T. MAHONEY, a'citizen ofthe United States, residing at Worcester, in theA county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new n and useful Safety Starting Device, of which the following is a specification.

.Although this invention may be used on various kinds of machines in general, it is particularly applicable to starting 'devices forexplosive engines or the like to prevent injury to the operator or mechanism in ease the engine backtires, or otherwise'reverses.

tlut it may be used on any machine or mechanisin Where a release is useful vin case of reversing, to prevent injury to the operator, or mechanism7 or as may be otherwise rcuired. l

@ne of the objects of this invention isto provide such a mechanisi'n in a starting or operating device that will automatically grip and rotate the shaft of the starting or operating device, or a member fixed thereon, when said device is manually or mechanically advanced, but should the explosive engine or other machine reverse. the gripping mechanism will automaticallyv become released before the starting device is reversed enough to injure the operator or mechanism. Also when the explosive engine or other machine advances the grip will autoniaiiu -cally become released and permit thcexm plosive engine or other machine to rotate independently of the starting device. Also when the starting device is reversed the grip will automatically become released and permit it to be reversed without reversing the starting or operating shaft connected with the explosive engine or other machine thereby avoiding injury to the mechanism.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appeal' hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,` inwhich-d l Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile gasolene engine with one form of this invention applied thereto; Fig. '2 is an end elevation thereof on enlarged scale Wi th lparts shown in transverse section; Fig. 3 is a sectional v iew of the same on nthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isa view similar to Fig. 3 showing another forni in which this invention can be carried out7 and in fact a better form; Fig. 5 is an end elevationof the same partly in transverse section; Fig. 6 is an elevation ofthe iiexible member and its connections, and Fig. 7 is an end view of one of' said connections.

Referring first to F igs.`1. 2 and 3%. which illustrate a simple form of the invention, it will be seen that a gasolene engine 10 of a usual type is shown on a frame ll and hav-y ing clutch sections l2 and 13 on the shaft 14 thereof. This shaft is shown as provided with the usual spring 15. On this shaft is shown a member 18 keyed to rotatt` with the shaft. Also mounted on this shaft is a plate '19 which has a projection 20 fixed with respeci;` to the frame 11 by means of a pin 21 projectingr therefrom, so that it cannot be caused to rotate with the sha-ft but can move longitudinally thereof. This plate 19 is provided with a cup-shaped membra' 2Q' 4pro` ject-ing from it. On the/shaft is a collar 23 projecting out to receive the pressure of a nut. 24 at the end of the shaft. Outside of this collar 23 is a casing 25 which has an outwardly extending flange 2G fitting over the cup-shaped inex'nber This casing is provided with a recess 27 therein covered by :i plate 2S and this plate extends outvardly to forni acrank handle 29. Mounted in the recess 27 isa block 3() secured to the end of a flexible ineinbcr 3l preferably in the forni of a wire cable. This cable. is coiled tightly on the outside. of the member 1S and -contained within the casing Q5 and 2G. itt its end it. extends into the cup-shaped inember Q2. A portion of this coil is normally of smallerI diameter'tlian the member 18 so that it tends to tit snugly thereon. lhe other portion is wound normally of larger diameter than the cup-shaped member. and frictionally grips its inner surface. This coil from the end which engages the cupshaped member Q2 is wound in the direction in which the shaft 14 rotates in order to crank up the engine. lhe free. end of the cable extends outwardly so as to frictionully engage the inside of the cup-shaped inemlier 22.

The operation of the device is very simple. u

rlhe handle 29 is grasped in the usual way and rotated'. This results lindrawing the flexible member 31 tightly around lle mein-t ber 18 and consequently the rotation ofthe handle, will be transmitted directly to the' shaft through the cable. At this time the resilientffree end of the cable contracts and moves frictionally around in the cup 22 and assists in the friction of the flexible inember. On the other hand if the engine is reversed as in case of back-tiring, the result will be to relax the contraction of the spring of the -free end of the flexibley member causilO 'ing it to engage and gri member 22, which being he d st-ationary will prevent the flexible member from reversing. Consequently the 'continued reverse action of the shaft will uncoil the portion of the flexible member that grips said member 18 so as'to loosen the grip and permit said "member and shaft to reverse without reversing any of the other parts of the startingy device, thereby preventing damage or injury to the operator or mechanism. It is to ,be observed that on. account of the end of the cable extending into and engaging the cupshaped member 22 the rotation of the shaft tation of the shaft will force the iirst conjury to the operator.

volution of the cable to uncoil until it binds on the ,entire inner surface of the cup 22. This gives a friction clutching action and holdsA this first convolution stationary. Then the adjacent convolutions of the cable uncoil sufficiently to lose their grip on the member 18. Then the shaft 14 is free' to rotate rerersely while the casing 25 and handle 29 are held stationary with the cup 22. Thus the back-tiring cannot give the'handle a material reverse rotation or cause any in- This ractically stops the cranking motion until t e engine stops reversing, andalsoforms a brake. On the other hand when the engine starts ahead the flexible member is held by the end 30 which is secured to the casing 25, which un coils the 'flexible member and. releases the grip and allows the shaft to advance.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4, 5, Gand 72 the same principles apply, but more positive and effective means iS .provided for. preventing the rotation of the shaft 14 in the wrong direction b the reverse operation of the crank han le. The cable 41 in this instance is shown as `having an inner surface 42 formed of a thin-piece ofvbrass,.brazed, soldered, welded or other- Wise similarly secured on the cable to fur- .nish a better surface for gripping the member 18. In this case the cable 1s held by a lug 40 cast on the inside of the casing 43. It is retained in position by a small plate 44 secured to a lug 45 on the casing. In this form the tiexible member is divided into ltwo pants, the part 41 just described and a second part 46 which is shown in the form of a brass spring `having at the end thereof Va brass flat spring 47 of onel or more coils or fraction thereolsecuredto it for the purpose ot' engaging in the inside of the the cup-shapedcup-shaped member 22. On the end of this spring toward the cable 41 is a ratchet ring 50 and on'the end of the cable is a tooth`51 adapted to engage the same. The natural resiliency of both cable and spring force these two parts into engagement with each other so that under ordinary circumstances the tooth will grip the ratchet wheel and rotate the same with it, while when the handle is rotated in the wrong direction the tooth will ratchet over the teeth and there can be no rotation of the shaft caused by it and there can be no tendency also to buckle up the cable or otherwise injure the internal A mechanism.

As stated, the first flexible member 41 in the present case is in the forth of a wire cable having a runner or shoex soldered or otherwise suitably secured to its inner 'surface composed of brass or other suit-able material, for the purpose of furnishing more and better gripping surface. One end is suitably secured to the Starting device. The other end having one or more teeth 51 which engage in the teeth on theother fiexible member 46-47-50 at their junction to form a coupling. The said member 41 is normally wound to be a free it on the shaft or member 18 which allows .it to turn in either direction freely Without turning the shaft, but when it advances its teeth 51 engage the flexible member 46 by the teeth 50 thereon which holds the free end from turning. At the free end of the cable '41 itl re-A quires only a little power to hold the cable from slipping as there are several coils of the cable. Thus by pulling at the opposite end of the cable it will `have a positive grip.

Thev flexible member 46 must be lsprung onento place it,in position, therebygripping the member 18 so that it willnot slip it it is pulled from the end, .but in case the spring is pushed from the end it willnncoil the spring and allow the shaft to revolve frictonally. One end of this member 46 is provided with 'a coiled fiat spring 47 which has one end soldered or otherwise suitably secured to said end of thernember 46. The said open-ring flat spring engages. f' f with the cup-shaped member 22. The said spring is normally formed larger than the cup shaped member 22 and must be sprung to be placed in position, thereby forming'a grip to the cup22.- When the starting crankl or device is advanced this fiat open ring spring 47 is pulled from the end and coiled smaller, which releases its grip from the cup 22 and allows it to rotate frictionalliv therein. But should the engine or other machine reverse as in the case of back tiring orthe like the"fiat springs being secured to the flexible member 46, will bo uncoiled and be pushed outwardly. This causes it to chuck back and grip the cup shaped member 22 which is held from rotating with its member 20 by the stud 21. VAs the flat ring spring 47 and the flexible iember 4G are suitably secured the 'further reverse action ot the engine or other machine will cause the iexible member to be uncoiled snliiciently to loosen its grip on the member 18, and allow the shaft to` reverse frictionally. At the same time the flexible member 41 Will reverse suliciently to relieve the strain on its member 51 by the member 50 on the flexible member 46, and as the flexible member 41 is normally a free running fit on the member 18, the said shaft and engine or other machine .Will reverse Without reversing` the start-ing crank or device, thereby preventing injury to the operator or mechanism. It Will be observed that the gripping does not disengage when the shaft is reversed but acts as a brake on the member 1S or shaft.

vWhile I have illustrated and described two embodiments` of the invention, I am aware that many other modifications can be made therein, and that the principles of the invention can be carried out in many other ways and applied to many types o1 gasolene engines other than the one illustrated, Without departing from the scope of the invention expressed inthe claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown anddescribed, noi` to the particular type of engine illustrated, but

What I do claim is I 1 1. The combination with agasolene en gine, shaft. and starting device, of a flexible member comprising tvvo parts connected at one end with the device and coiled around the'aha'l't, each having one or more teeth, for

coi'inecting the parts of said flexible members, a handle with Which one end of the ilexible member is connected, and a station- -ary device which the flexible member fric- .tionally engages at the other end whereby the reverse rotation of the starting device will have no effect on the shaft and will not injure the l'lexible member.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member, a liexible member coiled thereon, a handle connected with the end of the flexible' member and rotatable independently of the rotatable member, and a stationary device which the other end of the flexible member` frictionally engages, said flexible member being divided into a plurality of parts having a ratchet connection between them` f l 3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member, a cable coiled thereon, a handle rotatable independently of the rotatable member and connected with one end of the cable, the other end of the cable having a ratchet tooth, a cup-shaped stationary member, a spring coiled Within the stationary member and frictionally engaging it, and a ratchet wheel on the end of the spring in position to be engaged and operated by said ratchet tooth.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a rotatable member, a hollow handle rotatable independently of the rotatable.' member, a flexible member coiled loosely on said rotatable member and having one end .movably secured inside said holloiv handle beyond the circumference of the rotatable member, and a stationary device which the other end of theflexible member frietionally engages.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

- "JAMES T. MAHONEY. llVitnesses c .ALBERT E. FAY,

C. FoRREsT VVEssoN. 

